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DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFF: SLOVAKIA v USA


September 11, 2014


Bob Bryan

Mike Bryan

Jim Courier

John Isner

Sam Querrey


CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

THE MODERATOR:  Questions for Team USA.

Q.  Jim, just a reflection on the draw and expectations for the weekend.
CAPTAIN COURIER:  Yeah, we're looking forward to the weekend.  We're excited to get started tomorrow at 4:00.  John is going up first.  Yeah, we're happy either way with the draw.
So nothing really changes there.  John and Sam both have their jobs to do tomorrow, and Bob and Mike will be ready to go come Saturday.
It's game time, and we're ready.

Q.  John, do you know much about Norbert?  I'm making an assumption probably not.  What trouble is it trying to feel out somebody you don't have that much experience against?
JOHN ISNER:  Yeah, I don't know too much about him.  One thing I do know is he's a very accomplished player; he's a very good player.
Jim probably knows more about him than I do and he'll probably tell me a little bit.
But for me, nothing changes especially when I play no matter who I play against, so I'm just going to go out there and try to execute my game plan.

Q.  Jim, what do you know about him?
CAPTAIN COURIER:  I think the think that jumps out is he beat Dominic Thiem in a live Davis Cup match this year.  He Has experience in Davis Cup.  He's played a quality opponent and taken him out in a live match, so we know we'll have a challenge.
He's a fairly big guy.  It's a pretty big ball.  We have fairly big guys that also hit fairly bill balls.  It will be competitive for sure.  But if John does what John does well it becomes less about the opponents and more about what John's doing.

Q.  And Sam, Klizan, Martin?  Have you played him before?
SAM QUERREY:  Yeah, I mean, I practiced with Martin a ton.  He's a great player himself.  It's always difficult playing a lefty.  It's kind of like what Jim and John just said:  I'm going to worry about my game and what I can do well and hope that works out tomorrow evening.

Q.  Mike and Bob, obviously pretty decent doubles pair you'll be facing.
CAPTAIN COURIER:  Yeah, played Mertinak a few times before.  He's a great doubles player.  He's won tournaments around the world.  I think we played Lacko maybe once at the French Open.  He stays back and has big groundstrokes.
Who knows if they're going to play them.  I think last time maybe Klizan and Mertinak played, so we'll be ready for all four guys.
Hopefully we'll just keep playing well.

Q.  They've started promoting Davis Cup as the World Cup of tennis.  Seems like a pretty cool idea.  Any thoughts on that?  Anyone.
BOB BRYAN:  I don't have any thoughts on it.

Q.  Who is the sycophant here?
MIKE BRYAN:  Our focus is to get ready for the (indiscernible.) (Laughter.)

Q.  So does that seem like a good way of promoting Davis Cup to you?
CAPTAIN COURIER:  I think Davis Cup is quite different than the World Cup.  Davis Cup is its own special entity and we love playing four or country.  That's why we're here.  Sounds like a marketing ploy, which is okay, too.

Q.  How important is it for you guys to win this weekend and stay up in that World Group 1?
CAPTAIN COURIER:  Of course it's important.  Yeah, every match has its own tension and reason for wanting to win.  But this, for us, is a start of our 2015 campaign.  First match of 2015 for us.  We need to win five rounds to win next year.  This is the first step.

Q.  Bob and Mike, you're the Davis Cup veterans.  What is your favorite part playing for the Davis Cup team?
BRYAN:  Yeah, I mean, we started watching Davis Cup when we were six, seven years old.  We went to our first match when we were ten.  It's really the reason why we're playing the game today.  It inspired us to become pros, and it was one of our big goals once we got on the tour.
It's always been a dream of ours.  The atmosphere is unlike anything in tennis.  The support you get is a lot different than playing at Wimbledon when you got people politely clapping.  It's like in some ways that's how it compares to the World Cup.  You have people going crazy for their countries, and that's the biggest thing.
And then playing for teammates.  Those are the things that make it most special.

Q.  And Jim, following up on that, what's the benefit of having the Bryans here this week right after the US Open win, and what has the Davis Cup legacy been for the team?
CAPTAIN COURIER:  Irrespective of how well they've played recently, they're great ambassadors for the sport; they're great Davis Cup teammates; you can always count on them to give absolutely every ounce of their energy on the court.
You couldn't ask for more from any of these guys as far as laying it on the line and getting out there and taking the risk that comes with putting the stars and stripes on your back.
We're lucky to have Bob and Mike on this team.  They're great leaders.  They're the best.  I think their record speaks pretty loudly about that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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